Napoleon and Reille looked across the field towards the grim ranks of Austrians and knew that they needed to fight a holding action until the rest of the Grande Armee could concentrate on their position. Despite being outnumbered the French held reasonable defensive positions; the Kleinburg, Kelinstadt itself and the east woods. but would they be strong enough against the Hapsburg hoards?
The Battlefield
Turn 1: The French won initiative but being on the defensive didn't want to do a great deal. Pire wheeled his Chasseurs a Cheval to face towards the gap between the Kleinberg and the west woods, so as to be better placed to protect the artillery on the Kleinberg.
Kellerman formed his reserve cavalry into columns, whilst in front of him Hussons Brigade formed squares seeing the Austrian cavalry massed opposite them, and anxious to give Kellerman room to manoeuvre. Jamin moved the 92nd Line from their position in front of Kleinstadt into the town where they occupied the houses.
Archduke Charles was anxious to defeat the French before they could be reinforced, so gave assault orders to his three infantry divisions and the Advance Guard cavalry. The reserve cavalry was to support Von Bellegarde's infantry in the centre. The Austrians advanced along the whole length of their line, with Von Bellegarde's columns becoming staggered as the Schroeder Regiment were slowed by the need to climb the lower slopes of the Kleinberg.
Von Bellegarde's Division advances. Figures are a mixture of Esci, Italeri and HaT. In the background are Charles who started life as a Revell SYW Austrian office and the sappers, mostly HaT but one from the Revell SYW Austrians.
On the Austrian right the Uhlans skirted the west woods and the Grenzers pushed up in support, seeing the French left opposite them looking weak. If they could defeat Pire's light cavalry then the French flank would be exposed and the guns on the Kleinberg vulnerable.
Pire confronts the Austrians, seemingly alone.
"Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough!"
On the left Von Hohenzollern's division with two regiments of infantry and one of Landwehr advanced in assault columns against Kleinstadt and the east woods, held by the French infantry of Jamin's and Bauduin's brigades.
Airfix French infantry and artillery crews with a mixture of Esci and Airfix cannon
On their right wing the French skirmishers stationed in the east woods opened fire at the packed columns of Von Hohenzollern's division causing 1 casualty each to the Benjowski infantry and the Bohemia Landwehr.
In return the Austrian grand battery unleashed a storm of shot and shell on the 92 Ligne occupying Kleinstadt inflicting 3 casualties and killing Jamin's horse (which is quite an achievement considering I'm using a dismounted figure to represent him!) Unfazed, Jamin commandeers a spare invisible horse, and his unflappable cool inspires the 92 Ligne who easily pass their morale test.
Jamin on foot (HaT French command figure) in the streets of Kleinstadt, wondering why the Colonel of the 93 Ligne (Airfix in foreground) has a horse when Jamin homself doesn't.
Turn 2: The French again win the initiative and Pire spots an opportunity to put a hurting on the Austrian Uhlans, but fails his command roll abysmally and is unable to motivate the reluctant troopers of the 6 Chasseurs a Cheval to move. Von Frolich leading the Uhlans has no such problems and lances lowered to the horizontal they charge Pire. The sight of the Austrians bearing down on them finally shakes Pire's cavalry out of their trance and they counter charge, resulting in the first melee of the battle.
The cavalry melee! Austrian Uhlans are actually Strelets Crimean War 17th Lancers, Chasseurs a Cheval are Italeri French Light Cavalry
The charging Uhlans, although outnumbered 4-3 smash through the ranks of the Chasseurs a Cheval, who lose 3 figures to the Uhlans 1 and promptly retreat. The Uhlans horses are blown and they must retire to their own lines, interpenetrating and unforming the Wallachia Grenzers as they do so.. Von Frolich is nonetheless pleased with the performance of his cavalry, while Pire is definitely not!
Pire's Chasseurs a Cheval have fallen back to the edge of the table. If they are forced to retreat from here they'll be dispersed and the French left flank will be open.
On the Austrian left Von Hohenzollern orders the Benjowski Regiment and Bohemia Landwehr to charge the French skirmishers in the east woods. The French fall back but the Landwehr show their poor training and low morale by losing their nerve and their advance stalls at the northern edge of the (now empty) woods!
Bauduin's Brigade in some disarray as the Landwehr are scared by some trees.
Where do they think they are - Fangorn Forest?
Von Bellegarde continues his advance in the centre and the Austrian reserve cavalry skirt around the grand battery to support the attack. In Kleinstadt Jamin sensibly orders the 92 Ligne to evacuate the buildings on the northern edge of the town and fall back to a position where they won't be under direct artillery fire. Behind Kleinstadt Jamin also moves the 93 Ligne back a short distance to create space between the two regiments so they can deploy properly.
The French artillery on the Kleinberg fire on the Schroeder Regiment and the Liccaner Grenzers, who each lose 1 figure, while the horse artillery inflict 1 casualty on the Wartensleben Regiment.
Half the Austrian grand battery is screened by its own cavalry advancing and has nothing to shoot at, but 2 batteries open fire at the tempting target of the 63 Ligne's square just west of Kleinstadt, only inflicting one casualty.
Turn 3:
The Austrians finally win an initiative roll! Archduke Charles, seeing the columns of French Dragoons and Cuirassiers ahead of Von Bellegarde's Division is anxious for his reserve cavalry to get further forward and protect the infantry, but poor command rolls result in them remaining in support - could this expose Von Bellegarde to a French counterattack? Von Nordmann on the other had rolls excellent command dice and is able to change his orders from support to assault, freeing the Grenzers from backing up the victorious Uhlans (who clearly didn't need their help) so they could attack the French artillery and capture the Kleinberg.
Napoleon was wanting to do exactly what Charles feared and unleash his heavy cavalry to sweep away the three columns of Von Bellegarde. Abysmal dice throws for both the Emperor and Kellerman meant that the French cavalry remined stationery. Merde!
While the Wallachia Grenzers reorganise themselves, Von Nordmann leads the Liccaner Grenzers up onto the Kleinberg towards the French batteries.at the same time Von Bellegarde's division advances somewhat apprehensively between the Kleinberg and Kleinstadt, unable to believe that the masses of French horsemen are still motionless.
On the right flank Von Hohenzollern sends the Erzerhog Karl Regiment into Kleinstadt where they occupy the northern half of the village. At the same time he personally leads the Benjowski Regiment east of the village towards Bauduin's Brigade. Lagging behind the regular troops the Bohemia Landwehr reform their ranks with a notable lack of enthusiasm.
Erzerhog Karl have entered the buildings
Reille, alarmed by the threat to his left flank takes personal command of the 9 Ligne, forms them into column and leads them west, around the southern edge of the Kleinberg. This move as a side effect creates space in front of Kellerman's 7 Dragoon Regiment, if he can ever decide to move them. Meanwhile Husson, now with only the 63 Ligne under his command and, seeing the Austrian Cavalry as less of a threat than their infantry forms them into assault column. On the French right Bauduin's Brigade recalls their skirmishers.
The developing situation on the French right flank.
Napoleon watches with satisfaction as his artillery continues to perform excellently. the guns on the Kleinberg blast the Liccaner Grenzers with canister, inflicting 6 casualties. The surviving Grenzers halt their advance, dismayed by the bloody gaps torn in their ranks. At the same time the French horse artillery fires canister at the Wartensleben Regiment as their column lumbers towards them, killing 2 figures. While his artillery is causing problems for the Austrians, Napoleon is displeased with the standard of his musketry. In the streets of Kleinstadt the 92 Ligne fires at the Erzerhog Karl Regiment but their shots ricochet off the stout walls of the houses, and the Austrians suffer no losses. The 1 Legere fire at the Benjowski Regiment inflicting only 1 casualty. With both his cavalry and infantry underperforming, Napoleon gives thanks for the professionalism and expertise of his belles filles.
The overall situation.
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